RideLust

Cadillac's Ciel Concept. Image: © GM Corp.

When you think of big, ultra-luxury four-seat convertibles, two cars come to mind: the Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe and the Bentley Azure Convertible. The Bentley is the cheaper of the two, with a starting price of just $365,000 or so, which is $85,000 less than the Phantom’s price of admission. Back in the day, Cadillac used to build grand convertibles as well, although not in the same price league as Rolls-Royce or Bentley (in the modern era, at least). Enter the Cadillac Ciel (pronounced C-L) concept, which harkens back to the Caddys of old with a nod to the future as well. Read More…

We’ve all been asked if we have a perfect car. It’s usually something exotic and fast and one that makes us tingle in all the right places. We spout off names like Ferrari and Lamborghini in the hopes that maybe one day we’ll actually open our garages and see one sitting in there, but alas, for most of us, this will never happen. The real question however shouldn’t be what is the perfect car, but what would you do with it if you could use it to create your perfect automotive day.
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This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the Monterey Historics at Leguna Seca Raceway in California. We witnessed vintage Formula One cars, Trans-Am cars and even a race that contained one of the largest collection of vintage Bugatti’s ever assembled. It was a true treat and something that I will not soon forget. The best part about watching these vintage machines flat out on the race track though is that you simply never know what is going to happen. Take this vintage Jaguar for example, the driver came into the corner way to hot, thus overshooting it and running up and threw the gravel trap. I give the guy full props for the save, but I have a feeling that he might have left some skid marks in a place other than the raceway after pulling this maneuver.

Source: Youtube.com

Kids and cars, they’re like kibbles and bits or peas and carrots. As children we grow up around automobiles and we love them because of what they represent to us and how they make us feel. We start off small with things like a little red wagon, and then graduate over time to the likes of big-wheels and go-karts. There is usually however one crystal clear moment in our childhood that sparks our love of all things automobile related, and at this years Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance I think that at least one little Dude discovered his.
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The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey, California is home to some of the best automobiles on the planet. From the auctions, to the cruises to the actual Concours d’Elegance, this event is one of the most revered in the world of cars. Sometimes however a few stragglers can slip in and poison the water. These are cars that have been customized or built by individuals or small start-up companies who believe that they have reached the pinnacle of automotive design and engineering. The rest of the world however see’s these automobiles as simple atrocities that have no business being at one of the most prestigious car shows in the world.

I’ve noticed that these rides have infiltrated not only the streets of Monterey, but a few of the auctions and local cars shows as well. This is why, in typical Ridelust.com fashion, I must show you guys the worst of the worst and what I consider to be the “Messes of Monterey”.
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I have to say that Monterey, California is probably one of my favorite places to spend time. You’ve got the pristine surroundings of Monterey Bay, wonderful restaurants, and then, on one fabulous weekend out of the year, you have the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The Concours d’Elegance captures the best vehicles from around the world and puts them on display for the world to see. Keep in mind that these are not tired out old relics, but the best of the best from around the globe.
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As far as car shows go the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey, CA is pretty much considered to be the best there is. This is where the best of the best come and get ogled by the rich and famous and the whose who of the car world. Therefore this means that I must be present! For 3 days the town of Carmel is taken over by some of the most amazing (and most expensive) automobiles in existence. Last year was my first foray to this event and after seeing it, I made myself a promise that I would be back every year as long as time and money allowed.
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At the recent Ford Explorer introduction in Miami, Ford’s VP of Global Design, J Mays, indicated that Ford would bring back historic models of the Mustang. He shot down my request for a 2011 Bullitt Mustang, but said it would be reasonable to expect a Boss 302 and even a Mach One in the near future.

If Autoblog is correct, that near future arrives on Friday, August 13th. Ford will allegedly unveil the new Boss 302 Mustang at Laguna Seca, as part of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance festivities. I expect we’ll have coverage of the Pebble Beach show, and should be able to get you pics next Friday.

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You’ve got to hand it to the guys at Bugatti as they build one fast automobile. When it came out in 2004 everyone was a bit taken back by the fact that it had two major talking points. First off was the $1.2 million price tag and second was the 253.5 mph top speed. Pinned as the ultimate GT car the Bugatti Veyron in stock trim made an amazing 1,001 hp and 922 lb-ft tq. from its quad-turbocharged W16 engine and rocketed its passengers from 0-60 in 2.2 seconds. Since that time though another car, the SSC Ultimate Aero TT has eclipsed the Bugatti’s record with an amazing Guinness Book of World Records run of 256.12 mph.

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Photo: Gooding & Company

Bugattis tend to be rare cars, and among the most desirable are the Type 57SC Atlantic coupes. A total of four Type 57SC Atlantic models were built, but only two are known to remain. One is owned by Ralph Lauren, and the other was owned by collector Dr. Peter Williamson before his death in 2008. The Williamson car won Best in Show at the 2003 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and was considered to be the most desirable car in his rather extensive collection.

His estate has been working with Gooding & Company to auction off the collection, and clearly saved the best for last. Although the actual selling price wasn’t disclosed, reports are that the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California, paid between $30 and $40 million dollars for the car. Sounds like a win for auto enthusiasts, who’ll now have an opportunity to see what may be the rarest of all Bugatti automobiles.

Source: Autoblog